


Just a Fairytale

by Iamsercetlynot



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano Friendship, Clones, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Retellings, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Interspecies Romance, Minor Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, POV CT-7567 | Rex, Romantic Friendship, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27768478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iamsercetlynot/pseuds/Iamsercetlynot
Summary: Rex's never cared for stories, until this one.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 27
Kudos: 185





	1. Princess Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex has never cared for fairytales... until this one.

This had to be the third time he’d repacked their kit.

Rex and his Commander, Ahsoka Tano, had been sent on a scouting mission ahead of Master Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and the rest of the 501st. They had settled in to wait out the rain in a cave above the Seppie camp. Radio communications with said the General had promised he’d meet them there at 12’00 exactly. Which was two hours ago. The comns were silent and Rex assumed that the Separatists would be running blockers anyway. The downpour outside definitely didn’t help matters. Rex had set up a lantern in the middle of the cave and kept his hands busy with inventory and gear testing. Helped him organize his thoughts for the battle ahead of him.

Rex glanced over at Ahsoka. She was standing at the mouth of the cave, watching the rain come down. He’d known the padawan long enough to know that she was thinking about something. Probably about the attack below or Anakin’s whereabouts. Her entire stance, the way she’d paced around the cave, her failed attempts at meditating. Nervous energy tightly wound under that serious expression she wore. He reached for his blasters and a rag. They could use some oil.

“How did you come up with your name, Rex?”

Not the question he was expecting from her. He tapped the muzzle of a blaster against the hard rock. “Why do you ask?” He asked carefully.

“I overheard the men talking about it,” She turned towards him, leaning back against the edge of the entrance. Her expression was very earnest. Or at least what he could see of her expression, as she stood in shadow. “Fives said that it was the only number in his ID tag, so it stuck. Cody said that a trainer back on Kamino used to call him Cody for his impressive skill set.”

A smile tugged at Rex’s lips. Impressive skill set. Cody really was full of Bantha Osik sometimes. “Cody is the Kaminions word for cushion. He used to let his mates take naps on his shoulder during lunch or downtime.”

“Did you ever take advantage of the ‘pillow’, Rexster?” She teased.

“Maybe once or twice?” It had not been once or twice. It’d been probably at least ten times. They used to share the same barracks when they were being trained by Alpha 17. Whenever they had a tough day of training or a nightmare, Rex would climb into Cody’s bed and the ‘cushion’ would help him sleep faster. Ahsoka didn’t need to know that yet.  
“How about now?”

“We’re usually running in different directions. It’s rare that I even see Cody, let alone have time to take a nap on him.”

They fell quiet in the heaviness of the comment. The war. The reason for the clone troopers' existence, the reason for him and Ahsoka’s meeting, the neverending battles and losses of brothers for a slight gain of control. Rex wished it could end. But there was the question of what would happen to him and his brothers, once their purpose was gone….

“Rex?” She was still waiting for an answer.

“Couldn’t another trooper tell you?”

She shook her head, her padawan beads swinging against her montrals. “None of them knew why you chose your name.”

Right. Most of his squadmates didn’t make it past the first battle. He’d been promoted so fast that to be friendly with a new group was the least of his priorities. Rex was close with a few of the higher ranking Troopers, like Cody and Fives. But no one asked about names. Names were personal. Usually attached to an identity that the Troopers prayed the Kaminios and war wouldn’t tear from them. Most troopers stopped asking after a certain point. Questioning someone's identity, when so much had been taken from them, felt wrong. But this was Ahsoka asking.

Rex dropped his eyes down to his blasters. He started taking them apart, oiling their gears, rubbing them with his rag. “There was a trooper named King. Back on Kamino, in the early stages of training. We were all experimenting, with haircuts and colors and names. Searching for an identity outside of our clone trooper tag. King said I obeyed orders like a dog. So, he gave me a dog's name. Rex.”

“Oh, Rex…” Ahsoka’s face twisted.

“King didn’t like me. Not fully sure why. He was good with my squadmates. Didn’t like that the trainers singled me out for extra training, I guess. One day in the mess hall, he attacked me. I won.” He sensed more than saw her approach, the rain covering the sound of her boots. Rex kept his story brief. Ahsoka, for all the horrors she had seen, didn’t need to know how badly King beat him. Or the means by which he won.

“King was a part of the leadership squad. He was destined to be a commander or ARC trooper, to be trained by the best of the batch, Alpha 17. The Kaminos had me take his spot. ”

He laughed darkly. “In Kamino, Rex means dog. But in Mando, Rex means King. The trainers thought it was ironic. They said it was only fitting for a King to replace King.”

Ahsoka touched his arm. She’d seated herself in front of him, legs crossed. “Well,” She said lightly. “At least we have something in common.”

Rex frowned. “Come again?” It was hard to imagine anyone bullying or taking a dislike to Ahsoka. Her bright smile that she gave freely to her troopers. The playful demeanor simmering under her serious Jedi training. Ahsoka could probably charm the boots off of Count Dooku. And she had enough spunk and determination to steal them if her charms failed.

“Our names both come from royalty. I was named after a Torgutan Princess from a fairytale.”

“What’s a fairytale?” Rex asked in confusion.

Her big, blue eyes lit up. “You’ve never heard of fairy tales??”

“Are you really surprised?” He was a clone. He knew stories of war. Of weapons and fallen brothers and kill counts. The Kaminos made sure he knew every type of weapon and armors and injury. Fairytales sounded like the farthest thing from a reg manual.

“Well no, but still,” Ahsoka admitted. “Fairytales are… a type of legend. Usually, mythical tales of kingdoms rising and falling, damsels in distress meeting knights or princes and falling in love.” She wriggled her eyebrows at him. “Lots of love.”

Rex shrugged, holding back a laugh. She seemed so excited, all of her nervous energy challenging itself into her storytelling, her hands waving as she spoke. It was very… cute. If he dared even to think of his commander in that way. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

“I’ll tell you the one after which I was named,” She hesitated. Then added. “If you would like.”

He looked at her. She was giving him a choice. Autonomy was a thing seldom granted to a clone trooper. He considered denying her, just for the novelty of the idea. If he wasn’t so curious, if she wasn’t looking back at him like….like that, if Anakin’s whereabouts were more known, Rex might have indulged in it.

“I would like to hear a fairytale,” Rex said. He knew he’d made the right choice when her smile returned, brightening up her entire face.

“Then I will tell you a Torguta fairytale. It is most commonly known as Princess Sorrow and her knight. There are many versions of it, but this is the one that I like best.” She straightened, smoothing out her tunic down over her grey leggings.

“Once upon a time, a princess was born to a chief in the lowlands of Shili,” Ahsoka began. “The chief rejoiced to have a child, one who could inherit his lands. When it came time for the naming ceremony when the child was three, it was discovered that his chieftess had cheated on him. This child, although having royal blood from her mother, was illegitimate. The chief called his daughter ‘Soka’, meaning in the Togruta tongue, ‘sorrow’. Her birth had brought sorrow and shame upon his head.”

“Then Ahsoka means without sorrow,” Rex said.

“Correct,” She said, rewarding him with a smile. “The king put his chieftess away from him, but he could not do so with his daughter. The law stated that when an illegitimate daughter is born, they must wait till she is of age and hold a marriage tournament.”

“A marriage tournament?”

“A marriage tournament is when knights and princes from across the lowlands gather and fight each other for the right to win a wife and her dowry. It was usually for those men who were unable to find love on their own for various reasons. Others came looking for a second wife or a woman to trade on the black market.”

Rex’s eyes widened. “The Jedi told tales like this to a child!?” And he thought the Kaminos were too rough on him!

Ahsoka averted her eyes. “I wanted to learn more about my heritage. I snuck them out of the archives in between medical journals when I was a youngling.”

“You little minx,” Rex said affectionately. He caught himself from saying more. Careful, Rex. Anakin and the rest of his men should be here any minute. Ashoka was his commanding officer first and a Jedi Padawan second. Their friendship was technically not allowed based on their status and thus fell below that priority wise. To entertain thoughts of more, to even have a friendship, was not allowed. Or even heard of. What they had existed because of General Skywalker’s unorthodox methods as a Chosen One.

He busied himself with the reholstering of his blasters. He missed the soft look Ahsoka gave him as he said, “Please continue.”

“So the years passed. The Princess grew up in the shadows as the chief took a new wife, who bore him many sons and daughters. She was only present as a whisper at clan gatherings, the one blotch on the chief’s many dazzling accomplishments. Princess Sorrow did not waste away without their attention. She had the beauty and intelligence of her mother and the strength and potential of her father. The Chief had put her in charge of tending his borders from the dangerous Akul. She led her men well. Her headdress was decorated with many Akul teeth from her victories. And on her 18th birthday, she was called forth for the tournament.”

As Ahsoka spoke, the rain lightened to a light drizzle. It would soon stop entirely. Rex bit his tongue on more questions. He clearly needed to learn more about Togruta culture and how the system worked. She was so into her telling, Rex suspected that any questions now would disrupt her flow.

“The tournament was met with much excitement in the lowlands. By this time, most had forgotten the chief’s firstborn. Men from all over the clan came out to try their hand to win this daughter to lead their own households. Tournaments usually lasted a couple of weeks and were full of wine, alliances, and treaties. They fought well, but the clear standout was a Knight who arrived from the highlands halfway through it.”

“His coat of arms was that of the Capital, Corvala. His face was hidden by a helmet similar to that worn by the Mandalorians. A dark, blue tunic and his quick sword quickly made him a clear winner as he made his way through the list. He bested the giant of clan Shire and the metal man of the Rose clan. He even managed to defeat several of the men from Princess Sorrow’s own routine, much to their disappointment. The chief was very impressed with his skills, saying that if his daughter was legitimate, he might even be proud to have the man as a son in law. The Knight was about to be declared the victor when a small challenger stepped up.”

“Unlike the others, the challenger had covered its face with a sack to conceal their identity. The challenger held its own, but it was no match for the Knight’s training. With some careful footwork, the Knight put the challenger on its knees, sword pointed at its neck. ‘Remove your covering!’ the Knight cried. The challenger did so and it was discovered to be Princess Sorrow.”

“The princess doesn’t win?”

Ashoka tilted her head in amusement. “You expected her too?”

“She is the hero of this story, is she not?” Rex asked. He bit his tongue on his next sentence. ‘And she sounds so much like you, I would have thought…’

“Just listen,” Ahsoka waved off his inquiry as she continued. “Upon revealing her identity, the knight said-”

“BOO!”

Rex and Ahsoka leaped to their feet. Rex drew his blasters, pointing them towards the cave entrance. Ahsoka’s twin blades ignited as she assumed a defensive position. A familiar figure appeared in front of them.

“Gotcha Snips,” Anakin said, laughing. Rex sighed, lowering his blasters. He should have known.

Ahsoka deactivated her lightsabers with a huff. “Master, what took you so long?”

“The downpour made it so the shuttles had to find a new landing spot further from the drop. Had to trek a few extra miles, nothing the boys and I couldn’t handle. Let’s head on out!”

The two picked up their bags and followed the General. Rex fell in with the rest of the 501st, giving them orders and explaining the terrain. The Master and Padawan started hashing out some minor disagreement as they bounded ahead of the troops. They were clearly excited to take out some Separatist droids. Their fingers never strayed far from their lightsabers.

And in the back of Rex’s mind, he wondered when he’d hear the end of the story. After the mission, perhaps?

If he survives.


	2. Of Gossip and Avoidance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex's never cared for stories, until this one.

Finding the commander was a lot harder than Rex thought it would be. 

Rex had planned on pulling her aside after their mission debrief. But she was dismissed before he was, her blue and white montrals disappearing with the crowd of troopers as Anakin blocked his line of vision and pestered him with minute details that he really could have read in his report. He’d tried her comns with no luck. She wasn’t in her room or the mess hall. Rex was stuck with searching the Resolute decks and rooms for his small commander. 

The barracks was the last place on his list. And one of the few places Ahsoka was technically not allowed to enter. If she pulled rank, she could. But based on her gender, it wasn’t the wisest decision. Not that any of the men would try anything. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of Anakin’s wrath or Rex’s for that matter. But, a barracks full of men in various stages of dress was not a place for a lady. 

Rex passed through its entrance, his helmet clipped to his side. He nodded at troopers as he passed, saluting him. There was a lot of jubilant chatter, the mission had gone well, with no casualties. Most of the troopers were either in the mess hall or storing their gear away here. Rex, being Anakin’s second in command, got his own room on another deck. It gave him some quiet away from the men, a place where he could be weak. Here in the barracks or out in the field, Rex could not afford to show weakness. Weakness made his troops doubt, made them more likely to pull rank. They respected him plenty, but there were a few shinies. Shinies who only had stories, not experience, were less likely to respect a Captain who had a moment of weakness. Rex was looking for the Torrent companies' bunks. Their bunks were closer to the back of the barracks, past the large refreshers, and closer to a common area where the troopers had commandeered a few tables. 

It was there he found them. A small group gathered around the table, a deck of cards forgotten in the middle with their helmets. Fives and Echo sat among them, likely just gotten back from one of their special ARC trooper missions. Kix pulled down Jesse as he leaped up, vehemently denying some claim as the group laughed at him. And in the middle of them was his commander, her orange and white markings standing out from between his brothers. Her voice raised above all of them. “Alright, Most likely to cry during a holovid?” 

They all turned and pointed at Jesse. “Guys c’mon. You can’t pick me for every answer! ” Jesse complained. “I swear I’ve seen Echo cry during one before.”  
“Where’s your proof?” Fives demanded. 

“Where’s your proof for any of these questions?” Jesse fired back. 

“ Lighten up vod, it’s just a game,” Kix patted him on the back. 

“I’d say most likely to ruin a party is this sorry bastard,” Fives pointed at Rex, standing in the background. “Why don’t you join us, Captain?” 

His brothers turned to look at him as he approached. Ashoka didn’t. “What are you playing?” Rex asked cautiously. 

“It’s a form of gossip dec. You start off by saying most likely to… blank, and then you point to whoever you think is most likely to do it.” Echo explained. “Jesse’s been winning.” 

“You and I have very different definitions of winning.” Jesse snapped. 

“You’ve won the most questions.” 

“They are terrible questions! Mostly likely to embarrass themselves in front of a senator? Most likely to trip and drop their tray in the mess hall? I’d consider those losses, not wins!” 

Rex watched them argue in relief. Thank the force they weren’t playing gossip dec. While it wasn’t a terrible game-it was pretty good for morale and credits-it was not the sort of game he wanted Ahsoka to engage in. It usually involved complicated dares and bets. If you wanted to avoid a dare, then you had to share a secret or a rumor. Most secrets were harmless. Simple secrets like who’s the worst shot and who takes the longest in the refresher. The rumors were where it got dangerous. 

Rumors of affairs and flings between the Jedi and higher ranking troopers. Did Bly stand a chance against Master Fisto’s history with General Secura? What did Commander Wolffe do when he was granted leave between missions? Who would Commander Bariss choose between Cody and Gree? Rex knew that he and Ahsoka’s name came up a lot. She was the troopers favorite commander and the most well known. As her loyal Captain, he held an envied position. Some thought that he would try something. They would if they were in his shoes. If they had the chance to spend hours alone with the commander like he had….. The thought made his blood boil. 

Rex stood behind her as he spoke. “Perhaps for a round or two. I was really looking for the commander.” And for the fairy tale's ending. The tale of Princess Sorrow had been more interesting than Rex expected it to be. It hadn’t helped matters that it had ended on a cliff-hanger. He wanted to know what happened to Princess Sorrow after her identity was discovered by the Knight. 

“You could have comned me.” She said lightly. 

He shifted. He should have left his helmet on. Rex was aware that he had the attention of his men seated around her. Watching his every move and expression, for any slip on his part that may confirm the gossip. If he put it on now, it’d only make him seem more suspicious. “I did. You didn’t answer.” 

She lifted her wrist and fiddled with the buttons of the commlink attached to her wrist. “Oh, sorry Rexster. Must have put it on silent somehow and forgot.” She turned and gave him a very innocent expression. Rex didn’t buy it. He recognized that look. It was the same she gave Anakin whenever she’d done something stupid. She was lying. 

“It happens,” Kix said in agreement. He’d bought her act. So did the rest of his men, bobbing their heads in agreement. 

“Whatever you needed the Commander for, it can wait for a little bit.” Fives declared. “The cards, Captain, symbolize how many rounds you won. Jesse is leading, but it shouldn’t take too long for you to catch up. You’ve already won one.” He handed him a card. 

Rex accepted it quietly. Jesse had a high stack of cards in front of him, his expression was despondent. The rest of the group had about two to five cards each and were in high spirits. Kix started them up again. 

“Mostly likely to die first in a zombie attack?” They all pointed at Jesse.

He threw up his hands. “AGAIN?”

“Ahsoka’s got mad Jedi skills, Kix’s a medic so he can heal himself, the captain and I have good combat and weaponry skills. That leaves you and Echo.” Fives explained. “Echo has arc training and reads too many manuals. He could probably outwit them longer than you could Jesse.” 

“If it makes you feel better, you’d probably last longer than Tup.” Echo patted his arm in consolation. 

Jesse rolled his eyes. “Fine. Mostly likely to backstab their friends?” 

The vote was split. Half of them pointed at Echo and the other at Rex. 

Echo’s turn. “Most likely to dye their hair?” They all pointed at Rex. He flushed, running a hair through his buzz. Unlike his brothers, who chose to identify themselves with tattoos and designs in their black hair, Rex had opted for a blond look. His men normally didn’t comment on it. Rex wasn’t the only one who dyed his hair after all. He missed a speculative look from Ahsoka. His vod didn’t. 

“I bet he’d dye it a different color if you asked, Commander.” Echo said softly. 

Ahsoka tilted her head. “Rex doesn’t need to change. His hair looks nice the way it is.” 

Jesse smirked. “Oh, really? You like him the way he is?” 

“He’s my friend. Why wouldn’t I?” 

Was it his imagination or did her montrals seem darker than usual? It didn’t matter. While it felt... nice to receive a compliment and to hear Ahsoka call him a friend, this was dangerous territory. Rex narrowed his eyes at Jesse. “Who’s the most likely to snore?” He asked. 

“I’d say our captain would look stunning in red. He could borrow some of Commander Gree’s dye.” Jesse had not taken the hint. He nudged Kix. “Right guys?” 

Kix nodded. “Or even if he let the black grow back.”  
“Get a bit of a frosted tips thing going on,” Echo added. 

His vod were done playing the game. They had found a more interesting sport that Rex liked to call ‘see how far you can push your CO’s buttons before they make you do push-ups’. Or S.h.f.y.c.p.y.c.b.b.t.m.y.d.p for short. 

Ashoka pushed back her chair and stood, signally the end of the discussion. She was also not fond of this game. “Thank you for letting me play, guys. I think I’m going to turn in for the night.” Her eyes settled on Rex. She’d grown so much in the time since he’d met her. Her montrals used to barely reach the tip of his chin. Now they came up to the top of his head, and Rex suspected that they would only keep growing. “I’m too tired to talk now, Rex. Can it wait?” She pleaded. 

Rex felt his shoulders slump. He couldn’t deny her request. It wouldn’t kill him to wait a little longer for an answer. “Of course it can. Get some rest.”

She smiled tiredly at him. “Thanks, Rexster.” 

He watched her walk away, resigning himself to another day of waiting. He’d probably turn in too. Perhaps he'd search the holonet on his datapad, see if he couldn’t find out any more information on Togrutas and fairytales. 

“Who’s most likely to have a crush on their commanding officer?” Fives said. His voice was low, but Rex knew he was meant to hear it.


	3. Showdown at the Archives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex has never cared for stories, expect for this one

The Jedi Archives was just as he imagined. Rows of books and holonet stations surrounding a reception desk in the middle of the room. It’s high ceilings allowed for several stories of this layout, with balconies for browsers to peer over. Three round stained glass windows lit the entire room, creating a gloomy atmosphere with bright blue holonet screens. Rex never thought this much knowledge could feel so oppressive. 

He made his way to the reception desk and rested his helmet on its counter. Rex glanced about him, noting the closest exit to him. There were a few clone troopers loitering about. Red armor and batons. Commander Fox’s troopers no doubt. After the break into the Jedi Archives a couple of months ago, the Jedi Council had decided that increased security might be a wise idea. Rex only knew about it because Ahsoka had been one of the Jedi involved in stopping the intruders. He also knew from Ahsoka that the Archive’s keeper was not happy about increased clone supervision. Jocasta Nu had been caring for and protecting the ancient collection for years without help. She did not appreciate intrusion into her space. 

Not that Rex cared about that. He had stayed up almost all night reading all he could find about the Togurta and their fairy tales. There wasn’t a lot of it, despite how many different searches he made. The Togurta was very similar to Mandalorian culture. They relied on clans and divided up their home planet, Shilli, into territories. However, where the Mandalorians were a culture of warriors, the Togruta were more tribal. There was no central kingdom or chief that united the tribes or clans. The Torgruta were nomads who fought over the right to hunt and defend their land from the Akul and other Togruta. The only time that the torguta did not fight over land was in slavery, during gatherings for marriage or funerals, or in the main city and hub of trade, Corvala. Even with that information, it didn’t go into depth about it. The holo net had a lot to say about where to purchase Torgutan Slaves and comparisons between Twi-leks and Torgrutan dancers. Rex avoided those sites with disgust. 

There was even less to say about fairytales. Only one line came up when Rex searched for it. It stated: ‘Fairytales are the nickname given to the oral stories passed down by traveling Torguta to their young. The only written collection exists on Coruscant in the Jedi Archives under the name ‘Tales of the Land’. It features the most popular tale known as ‘Princess Soka and her knight’. It was just his luck that the Resolute was currently stationed at Coruscant. Rex figured he’d grab the book and be able to read the ending. That way he didn’t have to wait for Ahsoka to decide to talk to him. 

“What’s your name, Trooper?” Jocasta Nu materialized in front of him. A pair of sticks held her white hair into a tight bun. Her eyes were very clear for an old lady. Clear and grey like steel. Rex had an uncomfortable feeling looking into them. Like she was searching his soul. She carried a very lightweight model of a datapad in her hands. A lightsaber hung from her tunic belt. If it weren’t for the saber, Rex would have thought she was just a scary librarian. 

“Hmm. Blue armor.” She looked him up and down. Obviously, she thought he was taking too long to respond. “I would assume by your colors and karma that you are one of Skywalker's men. His captain perhaps?” 

Rex found his voice. “Yes, Ma’am. I am his Captain. My name is Rex.” 

“Number?” 

“CT-7567.” 

“If it is Commander Fox’s men you seek, you’ll find them back the way you came CT-7567.” She inclined her head in a dismissive matter. Rex had no intention of being dismissed. Not without the information he sought. 

“I’m looking for information on Togruta culture.” Rex leaned his arms onto the counter, next to his helmet. “Specifically, a book called, ‘Tales of the Land’.” 

She fixed her clear eyes on him. “How would a clone like you learn of fairy tales?” 

“My commander told me of it.” Mind as well tell the truth as he’d already thrown himself into this mess. 

“A clone commander knows of fairy tales?”

“I am General Skywalkers Captain.” Rex reminded her. “ My commander is his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano.” 

Her eyes widened in recognition. “Now that is a name I know. How is young Ahsoka? She doesn’t visit as much as she used to.” 

“Commander Tano has been very busy lately. She’s a good leader,” Rex answered. Ahsoka was more than that, but he figured Master Nu wouldn’t appreciate flowery adjectives. Especially not from a clone. 

“She… she told me this story before a battle to lift my spirits.” A slight lie. He hoped the force wouldn’t alert her to that. It was true that she told him the story. He had his doubts about her intentions behind telling him the story. This Jedi didn’t need to know that. 

Master Nu smiled. “It would be like Ahsoka to share that. She’s always been very intuned with her emotions. She used to check out that story when she was a youngling. Bariss would research her herbs and force healing while Ahsoka snuck away to the fairytale section.” 

Rex could see her now. A tiny Ahsoka ducking in between shelves, her tiny arms clutching the book close to her chest. Her legs crossed neatly in front of herself as she flipped through the pages. Her furrowed brows as she sounded out the words. The image tugged on his heart. “Snuck away?”

“I do not approve of fairy tales. They promote attachments and other things our code will not tolerate,” Master Nu said bluntly. “I keep them only as a reminder of the past. They are not usually open to check out. Especially not to Clones.” 

He felt like he was on a battlefield talking to her. Blasters firing around him, screaming men and droids, deafening explosions. The same adrenaline in his blood, the steady calm in his head, the clearness of his heartbeat. These were things that kept him alive on the battlefield. He wouldn’t have thought that this simple request would bring out such strong emotions in him. “With your permission, I would like to check that book out.” 

“Whatever for?” 

“To boost morale,” He said. That was a new thought. Master Nu did not seem to be immediately opposed to the idea. She seemed to study him anew at his suggestion. Her clear eyes lingered on the Jaig eyes stenciled onto his helmet. They both knew what those represented. The highest honor that could be bestowed to a warrior in combat. 

“I am listening.” Master Nu said.

“I fought better when Ahsoka first told me the tale. I felt emboldened by the bravery and intelligence displayed by Princess Sorrow and her knight. Their story made me want to live.”

Those clear grey eyes softened. 

“I would like to give that feeling to my men.” 

“You have presented your case well for a clone.” She said. 

Rex waited. 

“I will let you take this book. Ahsoka Tano helped me in my time of need. If you fail to return it, I expect her to give you hell.” 

“I will return it to you safely,” Rex promised. After making voice recordings or copies of it. He wasn’t going to forget this story. Maybe he could convince Ahsoka to read it to him. If she wasn’t being weird. He still needed to talk to her about that. 

Jocasta Nu tapped on her datapad. A wry smile appeared on her lips. “What a coincidence. The only copy that we have is currently checked out by Ahsoka Tano. I can put you on the waitlist if you would like.” 

Ahsoka... checked it out? Warning bells started off in his head. “When did she check it out?” 

“The records say late last night She must have checked it out with one of our droids because I didn’t see her.” She set the datapad down on the table and shrugged. “You’ll have to speak to her about it.” 

Late last night? So she had been too tired to talk, but not too tired to go check out the very story that he’d wanted to hear from her? Rex resolved to find her as soon as possible. Ahsoka had a lot of explaining to do.


	4. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex has never cared for stories, until this one.

It’s been a week since Ahsoka told him the fairytale. Upon returning to the Resolute, Rex had discovered that Ahsoka had left on a mission with Senator Amidala. Something about negotiations going sour and that she needed backup that wasn’t Master Skywalker. Which as a result, made the General sulky. He really was terrible at hiding his affection for the Senator. Rex had to admit, he was feeling a little grumpy himself at Ahoska’s departure. 

He had so many questions. About Fairytales, the version that Ahsoka was telling him, the Knight’s response to discovering the challenger's identity. He wanted to know why she was avoiding him, why she’d checked out the only copy from the archives, and why she’d left without even so much as a promise to finish the tale later. She wasn’t responding to his attempts to comn her either. And if he examined himself a little closer, Rex knew he’d find another reason to be so annoyed at her departure.

Rex didn’t want to think about that. He put in long hours at the Resolute’s gym to avoid thinking about that. Rex normally considered himself a very patient man. Understanding. He hadn’t expected something as simple as a fairytale to affect his mental state. But as the days passed without a word from his commander, Rex found himself snapping at his men more often. Jumping at the sound of every new ship returning to the resolute deck. Pouring over the reports as if one might mention her name. He needed Ahsoka to return, needed answers, needed…..

Rex put down the weights he was lifting. Working out couldn’t even distract him from his thoughts. He was the only one left in the gym. Perks of being an officer. While the rest of the troopers had to report to the barracks at night-except for select medics-he was granted almost reign of the ship's facilities. As long as he got to sleep at some point, there was no one to tell him to bunk up. He slung his towel around his shoulders and exited the gym. He might as well try to sleep it off. Not that sleep had been easy for him either. He’d lay in his bunk, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what the Knight could have said. 

He rounded the corner and came face to face with the subject of his annoyance. Ahsoka Tano. She was covered in what looked like soot, dressed in her usual combat gear. She looked as tired as she had when he’d last seen her. A large book was tucked under her arm. Rex spotted the title on the spine. In big gold letters, it read, ‘Tales of the Land’.

Her eyes widened at the sight of him. “Rex! I-” 

He doesn’t wait for her to finish. He took Ahsoka by the shoulder and dragged her into a passing debriefing room. She came with little resistance, too surprised to fight him off. The door opened and shut automatically behind them. There were little furnishings in the room. Just a simple table with a large holo-projector in the middle, chairs lining the edges. It was empty, the lights flickering on overhead. Rex barely acknowledged these facts. He released her shoulder and she stumbled forward. 

Recovering her balance, she spun around, squaring up in front of him. Her free hand hovered just a saber at her side. Her furrowed brows scrunched up her face markings with it. He doesn’t look much better than her. His hands are balled up into fists against his wide stance. His helmet rests next to his left blaster on his hip. Its mate is holstered on his right hip. Two tense soldiers against the steady hum of the ship engines. Despite their ready stances, neither would draw their preferred weapons. Hand to hand combat. 

They hadn’t sparred in a while. Ahsoka had won the last match two months ago by an inch with a timely kick. But that was in front of the Troops to boost morale. For a Jedi to lose to her Captain would not have inspired confidence in them. So, Rex had held back. 

This time they were alone. 

“I’ve been doing some research,” He said. 

“Does said research involve strange greetings? I think a standard ‘Hello Ahsoka, I missed you’, would have been more than sufficient than whatever the hell this is.” Ahsoka snapped. 

Rex pointed at the book under her arm. “When you said you were too tired to talk, I assumed that you meant you were too tired to move.” 

Her glance shifted to the book in her hand. “Are you talking about this?” 

“Yes, I’m talking about that! Rex advanced on her. “I’m talking about Tales of the Land and Princess Sorrow and her Knight!” 

“The Fairytale?” 

Rex grabbed at the book and she dodged him. “Yes! I’ve been trying for a week to get a hold of you! You’ve been ignoring your comms!” 

“I was on a mission!” She stumbled backward and he lunged forward, grabbing her wrists. The book slipped from her hand. Rex barely noticed, pinning her hands above her montrals. “You can’t expect me to make communicating with you top priority over lives-” 

“That doesn’t explain before you went on the mission! I was looking all over for you and you were avoiding me-” 

“Rex, I was coming to find you!” 

He blinked. 

“What?” 

“I’d taken out the book from the archives because I didn’t remember the rest of the story. You seemed so excited to find out what happened next, I didn’t want to disappoint you. I was going to find you the next morning, but I received orders to ship out before I could.” 

Oh. 

So, she hadn’t been avoiding him? She had taken out the story… for him? She’d been looking for him? He’d been stressing and worrying for a week for nothing. 

He closed his eyes and rested his head on her shoulder. “Well, that’s a relief. I thought you were avoiding me. ”

‘I didn’t think you cared that much, Rexster.” Ahsoka sounded amused by his reaction. 

“No one’s ever told me a story like this, ” Rex said earnestly. “I… I didn’t want to die without finding out what happened next.” 

“I wouldn’t have let that happen,” She said firmly. “Not on my watch.” 

There was a moment as they enjoyed each other's company. Rex hadn’t relaxed like this in a long time. It reminded him of the old days on Kamino, resting his head on Cody’s shoulder. 

Ahsoka cleared her throat. “If I didn’t know you better, I might think this was all just an excuse to touch me, Rexster.” 

Rex froze.

He hadn’t realized how close they were. His knee pressing in between her legs, her hands pinned above her montrals. From the position of his head, he could smell engine oil and the fruity cream she used on her montrals. As he lifted it off her shoulder, he saw she was watching him through her eyelashes. Her lips were inches from his own. 

Rex hastily released her and stepped back. “I apologize. I was out of line.” 

Rex mentally punished himself. He was just as bad as his men. Thinking of his commander like that… 

“Do you want to hear what happens next?” Ahsoka’s eyes were on him, asking him silently if he was okay. He smiled at her. It was a weak smile, but it seemed to reassure her. 

“Of course.” 

She settled down on the floor, back against the wall, where they’d dropped the book, and opened it. Rex hesitated for a moment, unsure after his blunder, how close was too close. She patted the ground next to her. “Don’t be shy Rexster, there are pictures.” 

He perked up, settling down beside her as Ahsoka started to read. He pressed the record button on the side of his helmet. 

“The Knight said angrily, ‘What is the meaning of this?’ The crowd is also surprised to find that the challenger is the very Princess they are fighting for. The chief answers him saying, ‘Oh Knight, not familiar with the customs of the Lowlands are you? As the winner of the marriage tournament, you are given the Princess and her dowry to take as your wife’. 

The Knight responded as thus, “Oh Chief, I came to fight in your tournament because I was told I could win credits. I am a Knight of the order Alban. We are sworn to protect the planet of Shili, a life of celibacy and prayer. If a wife is the prize of this tournament, then I must decline.’” 

Rex whistled. “This sounds very familiar. An order sworn to celibacy and the protection of planets?” 

“It does sound like the Jedi,” Ahsoka admitted. “ However, The Tales of the Land dates back to before the Jedi order was founded or the first force-sensitive child recorded. So not the Jedi.” 

Rex looked at her thoughtfully. So far, this fairytale seemed to be adverse to attachments. He could hear the distaste in Master Nu’s voice as she spoke. “I do not approve of fairy tales. They promote attachments and other things our code will not tolerate.” There must be something that Ahsoka wasn’t telling him about the fairytale. 

“The chief responded in return. ‘Indeed, I have heard of the great works performed by your sect. If you are truly a Knight of the Order Alban, you should have taken more care. By the customs of the lowlands, the winner of a marriage tournament must take the woman and give her his name. If you refuse, every clan here shall rise up and slay you. If you manage to survive, we will enter into a feud with your clan until they deliver your body up to us.’ He stood. The chief’s cloak and headdress were studded with several sets of Akul teeth. He pointed to them. ‘As accustomed to our planet, one can only wear a full set of Akul teeth if they have single-handedly slain a beast. I have slain over twenty. The princess, as illegitimate as she is, is still one of mine. She too wears a set. Have I made myself clear?’”

“ The knight knew better than to continue to argue. So he took the credits and Princess Sorrow and led her away from her home. When they had gotten a good ways away, the Knight stopped. ‘This is where I must leave you, Princess.’ 

‘Not so fast Knight,’ She responded. ‘I know the lowlands like the back of my hand. If you attempt to leave me here, I will return to my people and they will hunt you down and kill you.’ 

‘Princess, I have broken my code by entering this marriage. I must take you to Corvala to meet my leaders. They will put me on trial and I may be exiled or killed.’ The Knight cried. 

‘That is your fault. It is not mine that my mother chose to cheat on the chief and that he was forced to hold a marriage tournament. You must take responsibility for your actions.’ 

‘Princess, I can not!’ 

‘Dry your tears, Knight. You have not fulfilled the marriage requirements. Take me to your leader with them unfulfilled and you may have a chance.’

The Knight knew that Princess Soka spoke the truth. So, the two set out on their journey to Corvala to stand trial.”

Ahsoka came to the end of the chapter. There was a brightly colored picture that took up the entire page. The Princess and Knight stood with their backs to each other. She was dressed in the traditional wedding garb of the Togruta, a headdress of Akul teeth and skin clothing her sienna body. The Knight could have passed for a Mandalorian or a clone trooper with his blue and silver armor, a jet pack strapped to his back, and helmet. Rex caught his breath. The blue markings… they were almost the 501st colors. 

“That’s the end of the story I was telling you.” Ahsoka stroked the page fondly. 

“Is….there more?” 

“Of course there’s more! They have to make it to Corvala!” Ahsoka stood and stretched. “Do you see how thick this book is?” 

“Yeah, but you’re stopping right here!? What happens next??” Rex protested as she made her way to the door. 

She grinned back at him, exposing her sharp canines. “I guess you’ll just have to live another day to find out.”


	5. Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex's never cared for stories, until this one.  
>  rexsoka friendship, a tiny bit slow burn and a lot of clone bromance.

“Lights out!” A voice blared over the intercom. A sensor shut off all the lights in the barracks. One would have assumed that this would have made the barracks pitch black. The Clone Troopers were scheduled bedtimes to keep them battle-ready. It would not do for a trooper to make a wrong decision based on a lack of sleep. Not that they were created to need a lot of sleep. It was a matter of principle. They were required to strip to their black jumpsuits and load themselves into their tubes and at least pretend to sleep for six hours. Not all of them followed through with this command. 

In the back of the barracks, the torrent company huddled beside Five's dim headlamp. Echo laid with his head on Five’s legs, eyes on his datapad. Tup joined them, draping his blanket over Hardcase and Jesse’s head. Dark bags under red, puffy eyes. Exhaustion and tears, two things that the Kaminoans hadn’t been able to breed out of them. 

Not all of their vod returned from the last mission. 

Little groups like their own were scattered across the barracks. Their silence was the common theme, grief in the underlying current. They were delaying the inevitable as much as possible, seeking comfort in brothers that shared their fate. They didn’t see their Captain walking among them. 

Rex sat down in the middle of the Torrent Company. At this moment, he didn’t outrank them. Not in sentiment at least. No matter how long they’d served, no matter how many droids they’d ended, no matter if they’d lost one or five hundred brothers. They all were carrying the same burden. Rex could have marched up and down the bunks until all lights were out. Left the troopers to grieve alone. Like how his superiors and trainers had done to him, long before he was a Captain. Their eyes were on him now. Questioning his motives. 

“I am going to tell you a Fairytale,” Rex said. 

Confusion furrowed on Echo’s brow. In all his studying, Rex knew he’d never heard of fairy tales. Rex had wrestled with himself, wondering if he should even bother to tell his men. If Ahsoka would care that he’d shared something that was special to both of them. Seeing the pain in their eyes, Rex knew he couldn’t back out now. No one else moved. Rex cleared his throat. 

“This fairy tale takes place on a planet called Shili. Home to a species called the Togruta. We are most concerned about one Togruta, a Princess named Sorrow, and a Knight of unidentifiable species. The Knight is taking her to the capital of Shili as he must stand trial for disobeying his order. Princess Sorrow and her knight journeyed until they came to a camp.”

His voice carried through the barracks, attracting the attention of his men. Echo set down his datapad. 

“At this camp, the Togruta were being terrorized by a dragon. At first, the dragon had been kind to them. It drove away from the Akul and protected their borders. But when they could not repay the dragon’s kindness, he swallowed their chief whole.”

“Bruh,” A shiny from the neighboring company commented. His bunkmate whacked his head in a for-krif-sake gesture. Rex pretended not to hear. Pretended not to see the troopers crowding in the shadows and bunks near him. He kept telling the story as if he was the only one in the room. As if it was a confession that was bursting from his lips, a private conversation between him and an empty confessional. 

“The Togruta recognized the Knight as a member of the Order Alban. Those of the Order Alban had sworn to protect their world, Shili, from invaders such as these. ‘O Knight,’ They cried. ‘Rescue us! The Dragon has eaten our chief and he will burn our camp down if we do not comply with his demands.’ 

‘Where is this dragon?’ The Knight asked. 

‘On top of the hill,’ They answered him and pointed the way. The Knight tried to make Princess remain at the camp. 

She refused saying, ‘Have I not slain several Akul singlehandedly? See, my cloak and headdress are covered in their teeth. Although you seek to contest our marriage, am I not your wife in the meanwhile? Is it not a Togrutan wife’s duty to fight alongside her husband in battle? Must I remind you of the feud that will ensure if my people learn of how you question my capabilities?’”

“What in krifs name is Akul??” The same shiny demanded. “Or a dragon?” 

Fives half-turned. “Shut up Round, save the questions for later.” The Shiny, at last, shut up, seeing that he had no support in the men around him. They were all enthralled by Rex’s words. Any interruption, even if they had the same questions, would not be welcomed nor tolerated. 

“The Knight saw he had no choice but to agree. So Princess Sorrow and the Knight climbed the hill to meet the dragon. And what a fearsome sight was this dragon. Red scales covered the humongous beast, black smoke puffing from its nostrils. It was built rather like a snake with four tiny limbs supporting its long stretch of body. Long claws extended from each limb, digging into the dirt. A pair of cat-like eyes met them. 

Now, this was a cunning beast. He knew the way of the land and he saw at once that the Knight was of the Order Alban. From the colors of his armor and the sword at his side, the dragon knew that the knight would slay him, no matter how long or hard he fought. But he was cunning. Unlike the people of the camp below, he knew that those of the order Alban had sworn themselves to a life of celibacy. Princess Sorrow wore the traditional wedding headdress of her people. So he spoke to the Knight. 

‘Greetings Knight of Order Alban, do not be so quick to slay me. You have no authority here.’ 

‘On the contrary, Dragon. I have the authority of my Order upon me. I have sworn to protect all of Shili from those who wish to harm its people. You come in the name of a savior to indebt them.’ The Knight answered. 

‘Yes, but by your Order’s laws, you have the authority only in that you remain true to their laws. You have broken several by the looks of the maiden at your side. Nay, she is not a maiden anymore.’ 

‘I have not defiled her!’ 

The dragon laughed. ‘Who will believe you? Take her and go stand trial in Corvala. If they find you innocent, then return and slay me. If not, then these people are mine. I have provided them a service, they must repay me.’ 

The knight’s face tightened. This was why he had attempted to leave the Princess behind. He’d hoped to slay the dragon without its knowledge of his error. Dragon’s were infamous for their cunning knowledge of the land. The Princess watched the two with understanding. She stepped forward. ‘You know the law of the land, Dragon. But you do not know me.’ 

‘Then tell your identity, O little one.’ The Dragon said. 

‘I propose a game. If you can guess my truth in three guesses, then we shall go away. If you cannot, then you will give up this camp and never return.’ Princess Sorrow said. She knew as everyone did, that dragons cannot resist a good game.

‘Three guesses,’ The Dragon mused. Of course, he had no intention of giving up the camp. But curiosity had gotten the better of him. He prided himself on his guessing skills. He held a record for the most correct guesses in a row in his hometown. ‘You have seduced this Knight away from his order. He has compromised your virtue and has been forced to marry you by your family.’

She held her head high. ‘False. The Knight did not lie. I am still a Maiden.’ 

The Dragon frowned. ‘Then you are in love. He has married you in secret and is taking you to his Order to beg forgiveness.’ 

“False. I do not love him.’ The Princess said sternly. “One guess left.’ 

‘Then you are running away from an unwanted marriage. The Knight has found you and promised to hide you from your family.’ The Dragon said. 

“False.’ 

The knight caught his breath. He hadn’t really been looking at the Princess. Whenever they had spoken to each other in the past, he’d taken great care to look at a space just behind her. But now, he looked right into her big, blue eyes, right as she stared down into the Dragon’s slits as she taunted. ‘You lose Dragon.’ 

“Lose?’ The Dragon screamed. “I never lose!?’ He hurled himself at the Princess in a rage of smoke and claws. The Knight yelled, drawing his sword. He ran at the pair. The Princess was quicker. Nimbly sidestepping his strike, she drew her dagger and slit its throat. The dragon gurgled and slumped to the ground. Dead. The Knight stopped, eyes wide. 

Now her eyes were on him. Slimy guts and dark blood upon red scales. They littered at her feet, decorated the dagger in her hand. Her cloak and headdress were untouched. The shiny, white teeth embedded in them reflected his expression back at him. Her lips curled up. 

The Knight saw this all with a pounding heart. He wasn’t sure if it was fear or admiration that he felt. It could not be love. Princess Sorrow had said it herself. This was a duty. A consequence of her mother conceiving her out of an affair and his foolish entry into the marriage tournament. 

And as they wrapped up business in the camp, refusing the People’s plea to replace their chief, continuing the journey to Corvala, the Knight wondered if he really needed to understand his feelings. After all, he was a Knight of the Order Alban. Restoring his place as one was all that mattered.” 

Rex finished his tale abruptly. There were a few gaps in it. Sections that Ahsoka said were told in other versions, bits of extra conversations between the Knight and Princess, or even different ways the dragon was slain. But as he looked around him, Rex realized that did not matter. 

“Is that it?” Ventured Jesse. 

Rex shook his head slowly. “This is just one of the many adventures of Princess Sorrow and her Knight. ” 

More than one of his men’s eyes lit up at the news that this was not the only story. “Please,” Tup begged. “Tell us more.” 

“Perhaps… perhaps I will tell you more another night.” He stood to leave. 

His men reluctantly parted for him, their eyes on him. He could hear their questions behind him, Echo’s fingers tapping on his datapad as he searched for answers. 

“Lights out!” He shouted. A few troopers would follow his order, but he knew that the rest would stay in that little circle by Five’s headlamp. They had gathered in the dark to mourn their brothers. Now, they gathered around this idea of hope he’d given them. Hope that if they lived another day, survived another battle, they would get to hear another tale. Rex wasn’t sure if it was foolish to give Clones such ideas. Then he thought of Ahsoka. Her big, blue eyes and her soft excitement as she flipped through Tales of the Land. She certainly didn’t think it was foolish. That was enough for him. 

He’d ask her to share another story with him tomorrow.


	6. Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *cue thematic music

And so the weeks passed. When he wasn’t on or prepping for a mission, Rex spent his days with Ahsoka. They’d curl up in an abandoned corner of the Resolute or walk the halls as she told him the rest of the story. At night, he’d go to the 501st barracks. There he relayed the story. Tales of the Knight and Princess Sorrow’s bravery and heroics as they adventured across Shili. Together they beat bandits, solved riddles, and trained Princess Sorrow in the many fighting styles until she could hold her own against the Knight. 

Rex barely noticed that the number of troopers listening to his tale grew. When the 212th or other battalions shared barracks with them, they too listened. They would then retell the stories to their own brothers until almost every clone trooper knew each adventure by heart. Some nights when Ahsoka was gone for a mission or by a shiny’s request, Rex would repeat a story. So this continued on until they had reached the last chapter in Tales of the Land. The Princess Sorrow and her knight had reached Corvala. 

The 501st and 212th were on a joint mission, setting up camp for the night. Anakin disappeared off with General Kenobi to discuss Jedi business, leaving Ahsoka alone to help Commander Cody and Rex to gather the troops. They had just about finished pitching tents and making bedrolls. A group of troopers had started a fire and were stacking up firewood to make it last through the night. 

Ahsoka rested nearby Cody and Rex. They had spread holomaps across a makeshift table out of crates and were discussing the best way to approach the Seppie base. She had built a tower of crates above them using the force and somehow, made her way up to them. Rex was deep in thought when a shiny interrupted. 

“Captain Rex,” He called out. “A few of us were wondering. Why do they call the Fairytale ‘Princess Sorrow and Her Knight’?” 

Rex froze. Everyone's attention was on him, eager for an answer. Morale was low thanks to the upcoming battle. They were eager for anything to take their minds off their possible doom. He cast an anxious glance at Ahsoka. Rex hadn’t told her that he shared the story with his men. Her expression was blank, but Rex didn’t fail to notice the clenching fists at her side. 

“Why do you think they call it that?” Rex asked carefully. 

A chorus of different voices answered him. 

“Because they’re married.” 

“Di’kut, he’s a knight and she’s a princess. He’s sworn to protect her.” 

“No, Di’kut, he’s being forced to protect her.” 

“It’s his duty to protect everyone in Shili! He’s a Knight of the Order Alban. Princess Sorrow doesn’t need his protection anyhow. Remember the tale of the dragon?” Fives shouted. 

“She’s not all-powerful,” The same shiny yelled back at him. “Remember when the bandits attacked them? If it weren’t for the knight, the Princess would have been dead.” 

“It is because they are bound together.” 

All eyes fell on Ahsoka. Arms folded across her chest, their Commander perched at the very top of the crates they stacked. This way, the troopers had to crane their head in order to look at her. 

“By the law of the marriage tournament, they became one. If the story was not called ‘Princess Sorrow and her knight’, then it would have been called ‘The Knight and his Princess’. It’s a way of ownership.”

“How do you know this?” Hardcase asked. 

She tilted her head. “Where do you think Rex heard of this tale in the first place?” 

The troops exchanged glances. Out of all the questions they had about this tale, this was not one that had come to mind. 

Rex cleared his throat. “Commander-” 

“Do you all wish to hear how Princess Sorrow’s tale ends?” She addressed the troops before her. 

“We do!” They cried. 

Ahsoka stood and leaped down from her perch. “Then listen closely to what I have to tell you.” She said. 

“Princess Sorrow and the Knight reached Corvala as the sunset. They made their way inside and came to a gate to a tall castle. The Knight called out to the gatekeeper. ‘Open up! I have returned to see the leader!’

The gate opened and they were met by a group of Knights with swords and wire. ‘Your crimes have preceded you, Knight. You will stand trial and a night in our dungeon.’ 

Princess Sorrow’s eyes flashed in anger. ‘How dare you bind us? We came from our free will to be judged!’ 

‘Do not try to resist Princess,’ The Knight said, extending his arms to be bound. ‘I will see you in the morning.’ 

Princess Sorrow did not heed the Knight’s advice. She resisted and was knocked upon her head for her trouble. When she came to, she was alone in a dark cell with only a single barred window for light. The guards had bound her in a thin wire that cut into her skin. She was smart enough to know that it would be a waste of breath to call out. So she lay there through the night, thinking about the trial ahead. 

In the morning, the guards dragged her into the judging room. It was a huge room with high ceilings and staggering levels with chairs. There she saw her Knight kneeling on the ground before his higher-ups. He was bound in similar wire, although he had more bruises than she. The guards had torn his clothes and taken his armor away from him. Men and women of all colors and species, dressed in similar armor as he. The Alban coat of armors hung on tapestries around the room. An old Torgruta in a blue tunic stepped forward with a scroll. From it, she read the charges against the Knight, of the breakage of his celibacy oath, and his failure to uphold the laws of the land. When she had finished, she rolled up the scroll and handed it to a woman seated upon a chair above the Princess and the Knight. She was the leader of the Order Alban. They called her Just Knight.

‘You know our laws, Knight.’ The Just Knight nodded to neighboring guards. ‘Execute him.’ 

The Knight bowed his head. To Princess Sorrow’s horror, he agreed with her order. ‘Let it be so.’ He said. 

‘WAIT!’

They turned in surprise as Princess Sorrow called out, elbowing her guards away from her. 

The Just Knight motioned for the guards to leave her be. ‘Let the Princess speak.’ 

‘It is not his fault for not knowing the law of marriage tournaments. In fact, by winning the tournament, he saved me from a fate on the black market. As what your Order is committed to doing, protecting those who cannot protect themselves.’ She held her hand over her heart. ‘While he has done wrong by the oath of the order, he has not defiled me nor consummated our marriage in any way. The Knight tried to put me away and return me to my station. I refused to allow him as it would have created a feud between the Order of Alban and the Lowlands.’ 

She looked at the Knight for confirmation. He remained in his position of penance, without acknowledging her defense of his character. Desperate, she continued on. ‘We came all this way to stand trial and ask permission to enact a provision.’ 

They all looked puzzled. ‘A provision?’

‘There is a provision in the marriage tournament. If I can best the Knight, my husband, in a fair fight, our marriage is voided. If I cannot defeat him, then I remain his property and you may exile or execute the Knight as you please. ’ She finished, waiting for their reply with bated breath. 

They considered her words for a moment. Then the Just Knight nodded and the guard cut their binds. ‘Let it be as the Princess says. Fight.’ 

“The Princess and the Knight faced each other. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered all they had overcome together. The dragon, the late-night talks, the countless other battles, and near-death escapes. The training he’d given her and the stories they’d swapped. This was her husband who had won her at the marriage tournament. The Knight who treated her like an equal, not a disgrace. If she failed to beat him... if they killed him because of her…” 

“How could that be fair?” Waxer interrupted. A few clones scowled at him, annoyed at his injection. They had gathered close at her telling, a familiar sight by now to Rex. “The Knight can just throw the fight and they both could go free.” 

“You forget that the Order had known the Knight his entire life. They all knew exactly what he was capable of. If they sensed he was holding back his power in any way, they would kill him. That is the way of Alban.” Ahsoka said. A shiver ran up Rex’s spine. He didn’t like the look on her face. Like she was planning something. 

“How did they fight?” Tup piped up. 

“Watch,” Ahsoka said and she tossed up dirt towards Rex’s face. Rex leaped back as she charged, sidestepping her blow. 

“Ahsoka!” 

The rest of the men scrambled to their feet, forming a circle around them and the fire. Rex barely noticed. His focus was on his Commander in front of him. She raised her fists. Widened her stance. A tight smile across her lips. “The Princess did not wait for the Knight to make up his mind. She knew he was more familiar with the room around her. So she put him on the defensive.”

Rex settled into his own stance. He vaguely understood what she was doing. This was a reenactment of the story. A response to the fight that had been a long coming. Since he’d cornered her weeks ago and the gym fight in front of their men. The question lingering in the air. Did he throw that fight? 

He raised his fists as they began to circle each other. “The Knight did not want to fight her. He thought that this would only delay the inevitable. No matter the outcome, he’d still have to live with the shame of a broken oath. Death would be preferable to this.”

Ahsoka raised her eyebrows. She had not expected him to help her tell the ending. She, however, did not object. “The Princess did not think it was time for the Knight to die.”

After all, hasn’t that been the point of telling this story? To give his men hope, to give Rex hope, to give them a reason to continue on when their brothers died around them when they were belittled by those who did not consider them human. Ahsoka told this story because she did not think it was time for them to die. Or at the very least, it was not time for Rex to die. 

“And as the Knight assumed a defensive position, he waited for an opening. A false step as she circled him, drawing in into tighter circles.” They matched the words with their actions, gasping the story out, in short, heated breaths. 

“It didn’t take him long to spot one. He lunged forward, aiming to knock her off balance. They struggled for a moment, her elbow jabbing his eyes.” Rex said.

“What the Knight forgot was that the Princess had been in charge of protecting the borders of her camp from the Akul. That the teeth on her headdress were from a beast she had slain single-handedly.” Ahsoka twisted around, her mouth inches from his own. Rex focused in on that, wincing as her little hands escaped his grip. “And that is how she treated him as if he were a dangerous Akul threatening her homeland.” 

Ahsoka came down on his neck, forcing him to his knees. Rex choked on dirt, yielding to her weight. He heard her voice from above him, triumphant and cold. 

“And this,” Ahsoka said. “is how it ends.”


	7. The End

Cody and Rex sat up by the fire long after the other troopers had turned into their tents. Ahsoka had vanished into the woods with a few other sentries to confirm that their camp was still secure. Rex had spent the past fifteen minutes catching him up with the backstory of Fairytales and his hunt to find the ending. Cody listened without interruption, his dark eyes shining by the firelight. When Rex finished, only hot coals remained. Cody rubbed his chin thoughtfully--which Rex noted as something he picked up from General Kenobi--and picked up some wood. 

“Commander Bariss once told me that other cultures wrote tales about the Jedi order as an explanation for the force-sensitive children they took,” Cody said thoughtfully as he added fuel to the dying fire. 

Rex watched the wood settle into the flames. It crackled, sending a stream of sparks up into the cloud of smoke. “This story took place long before the Jedi came. Remember? Master Nu said that it was the only written account that existed of it. Ahs--Commander Tano used to check it out when she was a youngling. ”

“Just because the Jedi Order didn’t exist, doesn’t mean that force-sensitive kids weren’t around yet.” Cody pointed out. 

“It’s possible.” Rex considered his statement. “But unless I took a trip to Shili, I doubt I’d find out.” 

“We could go when we get leave. I bet Shili is a great vacation spot, with all those Akul’s lurking around.” Cody stuck two fingers up by his ears and waggled them in a poor imitation of an Akul. 

He snickered. “I’d like to see you get all decked out in touristy gear.” 

The two laughed at the thought of Cody in a floral shirt and straw hat. Then Cody became serious. 

“If you didn’t get confirmation from Master Nu, I would have thought that Commander Tano was trying to tell you something.” Cody poked at the flames with a stick, pointedly avoiding eye contact with his vod. 

Rex scowled, suddenly feeling defensive. “She was trying to tell me a story.” 

“Right, just a story.” 

“Shut up Cody.” 

Cody flung his stick into the fire. “Why are you choosing to be so dense?” 

“What is there to be dense about?” 

“C’mon Rex, there are too many parallels between you and Commander Tano and the fairytale characters.”

“You want me to not be dense about my relationship with my Commander? Like you and Gree are with Commander Barriss?” Rex knew he’d hit Cody’s weakness by the way his shoulders tensed. He waited a moment, seeing if he would try to deflect it. When he received silence, he continued. “Unlike you, I respect my commanding officer.” 

Cody laughed bitterly. “If that’s what helps you sleep at night. Oh wait, Ahsoka helps you--” 

Rex didn’t let him finish. “Don’t speak of my Commander like that.” He growled. 

“Don’t insult my character, hypocrite.” Cody spat. 

They glared at each other for a moment. Rex briefly wondered who would win if they fought. Cody ranked higher than him as a Commander. But he had less front-line combat experience than Rex. They hadn't sparred in a long time. Not since their days on Kamino. Cody was the first to break eye-contact. “I’m sorry vod. If you want to believe that there’s nothing more to the story, go for it.” 

“And why would there be more to the story?” Ahsoka appeared in front of them. They startled, shifting to look at her. Their Jedi Commander was not in a good mood. They could sense it from her stance and the hardness of her tone. How much of their conversation had she overheard? 

Cody coughed. “I’m going to go check up on my men.” He picked up his helmet, giving Rex a ‘you’re on your own’ look, before exiting the scene. 

Rex maintained eye contact with Ahsoka. Asking questions with his eyes was something new to his relationship with Commander Tano. He wasn’t sure if he liked the answers he found there or even the concept of it. But the fiery anger in her bright blue eyes seemed to subside as she saw the apology in his own dark eyes. She exhaled.

“I asked you a question, Rex.” 

“Because...that wasn’t the real ending,” Rex said. 

“Do you want the real ending?” She fired back. 

“If you are generous enough to finish it,” Rex said slowly. “I’m sorry. I should have asked you before sharing the fairytale with my men. It’s… just that the story gave me so much hope. I wanted my men to have the same feeling.” 

Now her eyes softened completely. Rex knew he’d been forgiven. “How do you think the story goes next?” 

Rex shrugged. “I can guess at the obvious, the Princess and Knight parted ways after she won. He returned to his position as a traveling knight of the Order Alban. I’m not sure where the Princess went. ” 

Ahsoka came and sat down next to him. “You’re right about the knight. He was put on probation, but eventually, he was able to return to traveling the Shili.” 

“And the Princess?” 

She tucked her knees up to her chin and stared down the crackling embers. 

“The Princess returned to the camp she and the Knight saved for the dragon. They accepted her as their chieftess and she ruled over them fairly. So this went on for a year until one day the Princess received a visitor. It was the Knight. 

She greeted with surprise. ‘Knight! What brings you here?” 

The knight fell on his knees before her. ‘I have left the Order of Alban.’ He said.”

Rex’s mouth fell open. “You’re joking.” 

Ahsoka smirked. “Nope.” 

Rex struggled to find a response. “But… but he was so committed! Why would he leave then?” 

“Listen to the story Rexster!” She tsked. “For krifs sake, you’re just as bad as the troopers.” 

“Krif is not a polite word for a lady,” Rex said sternly. “Did Fives teach you that?” 

“Actually, I heard it from you.” She said innocently. Then added. “And Anakin. And Fives.” 

Rex rubbed his temple. It was a lost cause. “Just continue, please.” 

“‘Why have you left!?’ The Princess cried. 

‘I have left to come to swear my allegiance to you. I have realized that there is no one else that I would rather serve.’ The knight reached for her hand and kissed it. He looked up at her adoringly. ‘That is if you would have me.’ 

The Princess embraced the Knight. She accepted his request and that day, he swore a new oath to be her knight until death. They had many adventures together afterward and were considered inseparable. Some reports say that they remarried and had a child. When the Princess died, the Knight died a day later from heartache. They were buried in the same grave and above them was inscribed, ‘here lives Princess Sorrow and her knight.’ And thus ends this ‘Tale of the Land.’”

Ahsoka finished her tale with a deep breath. 

Rex whistled. “Wow.” 

Ahsoka turned her head to look at him. “There are many different variations to this ending. Some end with the Knight’s death. Others end with the knight and princess parting ways. Others say that they never stood trial and instead had many adventures dodging the Alban order. Another ending says that they remarried and had many children. It all depends on who is telling the story.” 

“And that is why the Jedi do not approve of fairy tales,” Rex said wryly. “Cody said that the tale sounded to him like a warning about Jedi Attachments.” 

“Why, do you see yourself as the Princess?” She teased. “Think I would leave the order for you?” 

“No, I am the Knight,” Rex said indignantly. “I would follow you anywhere, Princess.”

Too late, he realized the weight of his words. Clones can’t make these kinds of promises. No matter how true they were. His lifespan was too short and his mortality rate too high. There were hundreds upon hundreds of oaths and regulations that prevented this from being more. Rex wasn’t even sure if they were allowed to be friends outside of their command duties. To even hint at more, the close quarters that they usually found themselves in, was dangerous. He opened his mouth to take back the sentence when Ahsoka’s hand found his. Hesitantly, he let his hand engulf hers.

“I suppose,” She said lightly. “I suppose that Cody was right. That we are a bit like the fairytale.” 

So she had heard their conversation. Rex shifted, wondering if this was too much. Her hand was warm. He could barely feel her calluses through their thick gloves. “And how does our story end?” He asked. 

“I think we could read every single version of Tales of the Land and still not know the answer.” Her eyes fixed on him. “The more important thing is how do we want our story to end?” 

“I wish,” Rex whispered. “I wish it won’t end until ‘Tales of the Land’ is finished. Until we have heard every possible variation of Princess Soka and her Knight.” 

“I think…” She smiled at him. “I think that is a great idea. I can start tonight if you’d like.” 

“Of course.” 

And so the two friends sat together, reading the next variation together by the dying embers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the end. I thought about making it longer, but then I started getting ideas for spin-offs. I want to focus on those for now. Or potentially other fic rewrites of stories that I previously posted on FF.net. Like my Marvel MCU Roommates AU.
> 
> Thank you for all the kudos and reviews, they make my day! Keep an eye out for me if you enjoyed this, I’m not done telling stories about Ahsoka and Rex.


	8. BONUS KISS

Rex and Ahsoka were hidden in a dark hallway on top of two metal-air conditioners. There was a small square of space big enough for both of them. There, Ahsoka had taken to reading him the last remaining versions of Princess Sorrow and Her Knight from Tales of the Land. It was secluded enough that no one could find them without nearly tearing the Resolute apart. 

While he had stopped telling new stories to his men, it hadn’t stopped the 501st from retelling them. Princess Sorrow and her Knight would live on, even if Rex and Ahsoka died. A dark thought, since they were both alive and well. Rex refocused on the storyteller before him. Her voice was lower than usual. Rex glanced at her montrals. He’d come to learn that the darker they were, the more embarrassed she was. Or ashamed or furious. At this moment they were almost black, her white sections a pale gray. 

“This is an interesting version of Princess Sorrow and Her Knight,” He said dryly.

Ahsoka laughed nervously, shifting in her seat. They had ‘borrowed’ extra blankets from Kix’s triage for them to sit on. Sitting on and against metal, as they had learned, was not comfortable for long periods of time. She was tucked in close to him, the book spread across her crossed legs. They didn’t have a lot of space to move around. Even as she adjusted now, she had to lean on his knee to do so. 

“I did warn you Rexster...” 

“You did not warn me-” 

“I said it was circulated in a bar!” She tossed her hands up. “I at least gave you the benefit of the doubt that you weren’t that sheltered.” 

Rex pursed his lips at the attack. “And I thought that you were too much of a Jedi to read such things.” 

In this version, Princess Sorrow…..was not… as chaste. She was currently convincing the Knight to further break his oath. Something about husbands being able to take… liberties with their wives. How Ahsoka had been allowed to read this book as a youngling was beyond him. Rex had a lot of questions for the Jedi watching the children. Jocasta Nu especially. She let Ahsoka check it out of the archives. Multiple times. 

“It’s not against the Jedi code to kiss!” She took a deep breath. Rex watched her in amusement. The last time he saw her this riled up was when Anakin made her write 200 lines for sneaking onto a dangerous mission with them. “Just to form attachments.” Ahsoka’s eyes met his as she said it. 

“Ah,” He mimicked her tone. Hurried. A bit breathless. “I’m pretty sure that she wants to do more than just kiss.” 

Her face flushed. Rex watched her color changing with fascination. “It’s fine. They both die in this version anyway.”

And that was why Ahsoka was allowed to read it. Rex smirked at her. The orange around her nose darkened and she averted her eyes. “And that makes it okay?” 

“I…” She stuttered. Then, “I bet you haven’t even seen someone kiss before.” 

“Yes, I have.” Rex declared. This had nothing to do with her point. Unless she wished to discredit his words with his lack of experience. Or make him as embarrassed as she was. 

“Who?” She demanded.

“Senator Amidala and General Skywalker.” 

Ahsoka scrunched up her face. “Not surprised.”

Rex nodded. Their General only managed to hide his affection for the senator in front of the Jedi Council. Rex was pretty sure he’d be called on to cover for the General if their flirtation escalated. Ahsoka, being close with both, had probably seen a lot more than him. “Plus, I’ve seen holovids. And few civilians here and there.” 

“Well, I have been kissed before.” Ahsoka lifted her chin proudly. 

What.

Blood rushed to his head, a strange twisting in his stomach. Which one of his men disrespected their commander? Betrayed his trust and took advantage of her kindness? Rex started running through a mental list of shinies. If it were anyone in the Torrent company….. 

“Who laid hands on you?” He growled. 

Ahsoka’s eyes widened at the anger he displayed. “Calm down, it’s not one of your men. No one harmed me.” 

“Then who?” Rex forced as much of the anger as he could out of his tone. If it wasn’t one of his men, then it would have to be someone that Ahsoka liked. Someone whose kiss she welcomed. 

“I was on a mission with Senator Amidala when I got mixed up with the son of another senator.” Ahsoka covered her face. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this.” 

“Wait.” Rex frowned. How had he missed her report of this? While he wasn’t as up to date as Echo on such materials, Rex tried to at least be aware of his General and Commanders reports. Especially when he was eagerly waiting for her return. “Was this the mission that Senator Amidala called you away on?” 

“Yeah. I don’t think you had enough clearance to read my report. Anakin classified it right away, he was not happy. ” Ahsoka started fiddling with the bookmark she kept in Tales of the Land. A braided piece of grey string. “I probably can’t tell you everything.” 

“Did… did you like it?” 

“It was just to shut me up.” Ahsoka’s eyes were distant. Not quite hearing him. Like she was relieving past pain. “Before I blew our cover and got us both killed. Not that it mattered in the long run, we still got caught.” 

Rex hesitantly placed his hand on top of hers. This was a new thing. She’d done it a few weeks before besides the fire. Lightly. So she could easily reject it. “You don’t have to talk about 

A small smile rewarded his efforts. “I’ll be honest with you. If that’s what’s kissing like, then I never wanna do that again.” 

“I bet you five credits that I could kiss you better than him.” Rex blurted. 

Oh, Krif. Why’d he have to say that? Sure, they’d been sneaking around the idea of it. He held her hand a couple of times. Got too close to her while sparring. There were moments where if Rex had just made a move, he was sure they would have kissed. But the consequences of it? If the Jedi Council or GAR found out? He’d probably get reconditioned or switched units. Ahsoka, a slap on the wrist or worse. Or if Anakin found out? He’d get sent somewhere six feet under in multiple pieces. Rex hadn’t even begun to consider the repercussions of losing Ahsoka’s friendship. Cody’s voice in his head. ‘Hypocrite.’ 

Ahsoka smirked, squeezing his hand. “You wouldn’t.” She taunted him, tilting her head. 

Force save them both. She had no idea what that look did to him. With his free hand, he cupped her chin and pulled her in for a kiss. 

Short, warm, and sweet. That was the best way he could describe it. They broke the kiss quietly, remaining inches away from the other, breathing into parted lips. Rex watched her through half-lidded eyes. He had half a mind to kiss her again. To see how long he could make the next one last. 

Something cold and metallic clinked into his hand. He rubbed his fingers across it. Five credits. He opened his eyes fully to see Ahsoka’s sparkling blue. 

“Thanks,” She whispered. 

“Ahsoka, I-” 

Ahsoka jumped down and disappeared down the hallway. Rex sat, dumbstruck, credits in hand. Did he just kiss her? And win their bet? Was this all just a dream? Not that he normally dreamed up such encounters… He pinched himself. A tiny pinprick of pain confirmed that this was not a dream. He glanced down at the thickly bound book at his side. She’d left Tales of the Land behind in her retreat. An excuse for him to find her later. Rex grinned at the sight of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wasn’t planning to update this fic at all. I completed it and set it aside as good. BUT THEN this lovely guest reviewer named Sarah reviewed every single chapter on ff.net. In her final review, she was like, “Dang it, I was really anticipating a kiss.” 
> 
> I do not normally succumb to peer pressure. But I caved and took a break from my WIP to create this so hopefully Sarah (AND THE REST OF YALL) like it. :))))))

**Author's Note:**

> Rex does mean ‘King’ in Latin. I took a few liberties with Mando, Kamino, and Togrutan here for artistic reasons. Ahsoka in Sanskrit means ‘without sorrow’. So I’ve taken liberties with the idea that Soka is ‘sorrow’. Just Lil’ tidbits of info for those who wanted to fact check me ;) 
> 
> The story within a story bit has gone through a lot of reworking throughout the years. It’s a fanfiction idea that I’ve had since 2018 that hasn’t been able to go away from me. So for past readers rereading these chapters, I promise you, this is the final version. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me! *Hugs* And new readers, welcome aboard!


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